Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-06
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

A company OF capitalists has sent out
from New York shiplosd Of laborers and
engineers, who are going to settle on
route across the isthmus, through which
ocean going vessels may travel. Projects
of this character are usually looked upon
with suspicion and distrust, but the fact
that this is q private enterprise, and that
the engineers are sent On the ground
instead of lobbyists being sent to Wash
ingtop, gives color to the belief
that the undertaking is not merely
money making scheme. The
canal in process Of construction
by Count De Lesseps across the Isthmus
Of Panama is conceded to be practically
failure. The bluff old Count has
announced the day and date upon which
he will throw open his canal to the ships
of the world, with cheeriness and con-
fdence quite characteristic of the man,
but the fact that $500, 100000 has been
already spent and that the work has
progressed only to one-f!th of the
estimated total necessary, rsises serious
doubts IN the minds of knowing ores
as to whether even the most reck-
less squandering OF money will
ever complete the enterprise. The sum
Of 81 800, 600, 900, according to responsible
engineers, will be required to finish it,
and with this sum there are fests of en-
cheering to be accomplished, the sue
cess of which are quite predetermined.
The proposed American route runs
through Nicaragua and Costa RIGA, which
governments have promised all neces-
sery concessions of land. The distance
from ocean to ocean is 10 miles, but 80
of this is through the valley Of
the San Francisco river, the River
San Juan, and through the great
Nicaragua lake, leaving only forty miles
Of actusl canal. The cost Of the canal
is Of course stupendous, but mere
bagstelle as compared with the sum al
ready spent on the Panama canal. Sixty
FIVE million dollars is the gum required
according to the figures of experts, and
80 per cent. of this is for possible losses
outside of the regular computations
There is some certainty about the cue
cess OF this enterprise. The Panama
canal is too expensive, the Tehuantepec
ship railroad projected by Mr.. Eads
was a bold undertaking, but since
the death of the famous en-
gi1eer, it may be considered amocg
the things of the past, and if we are to
have route across the isthmus, the Nj
carsgua canal, as proposed, seems to be
our only hope. The advantages Of s1ca
q route to the commerce Of the world,
aid especially to America, are incalcu-
liable. It would bring New York and
San Francisco 1000 miles nearer together
by water, and bring Chilli, Peru and
Ecuador into neIghborly commercial in
tercourse with New Orleans and Texas
coast cities. Besides this, Lake Nica-
ragus would be q position of strength for
our navy, when We get one, where ships
could lie in fresh water, without suffering,
and where cruisers could be sent out on
either side at a moments notice, to de-
fend New Orleans or the Bahamas, or, on
the other side, to defend the Golden
slope. 1t will hsye to be under control
of the United States government if the
Monroe doctrine continues to be OBJ
served. The good feelings which now
exist between Porto Rico, Nicaragua and
this country would remove many or any
distinctions which the intricacies Of
diplomacy would present to almost any
other country.